Method of treating continuous surfaces

ABSTRACT

A CONTINUOUS SURFACE IS TREATED BY ADVANCING OVER IT AN APPARATUS PROVIDED AT ITS LEADING END WITH A CLEANING DEVICE AND DOWNSTREAM OF THE CLEANING DEVICE WITH ONE OR MORE CONTAINERS WHICH ARE EVACUATED AND EACH HAVE AN OPEN SIDE FACING THE JUST-CLEANED SURFACE PORTION IN SEALING ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH AND CARRYING IN ITS INTERIOR A DRYING AND/OR APPLICATOR DEVICE FOR APPLYING A PROTECTIVE LAYER TO THE JUST-CLEANED SURFACE PORTION.

Dec. 14, 1971 p MM L N 3,627,562

METHOD OF TREATING CONTINUOUS SURFACES Filed May 19, 1969 3 Sheets-Sheot1 Fig.7

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Dec. 14, 1971 p HAMMELMANN 3,627,562

METHOD OF TREATING CONTINUOUS SURFACES Filed May 19, 1969 3 Sheets-5heet5 Fig. 3

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P4 m. HA M154 mw v United States Patent O 3,627,562 METHOD OF TREATINGCONTINUOUS SURFACES Paul Hammelmann, 17 Zum Sundern, 474 Oelde,Westphalia, Germany Filed May 19, 1969, Ser. No. 828,428 priority,application Germany, May 20, 1968,

Int. Cl. B44d 1/02, 1/12, 1/50 US. Cl. 11761 Claims 5 Claims ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relatesgenerally to the treatment of continuous surfaces, and more particularlyto the treatment of large-area continuous surfaces. Still morespeciffically the invention relates to a method of treating largeareacontinuous surfaces, and to an apparatus for carrying out the method.

There are many applications where it is necessary not only to clean asurface but subsequently to provide it with a protective coating so asto protect it against rust or the like. This is true particularly in thecase of ships where the outer surface of the hull must be so treated,but also on large tanks, and other structures. Known constructions fortreating such surfaces utilize high-pressure spray tubes which, when thecleaning operation of the surface is completed, can be converted toapply to the cleaned surface a protective coating. However, not only isthe necessary conversion, and subsequently the re-conversion forcleaning purposes, quite expensive, but also these devices can be usedonly in conjunction with surfaces which are not in contact with liquidsat the time the protective coating is applied.

This is an obvious disadvantage because such climatic conditions asrain, frost, high humidity in the ambient air or the like frequentlymake the use of these known devices for obtaining cleaning and/ or aprotective coating impossible, or at least impair the quality of theWork which they perform. In the case of ships where large surface areasare ordinarily under water, the problem of applying the protectivecoating is virtually unsolved. Of course, it is possible to remove theship from the water, that is to put it in dry-dock. However, there ismore and more of a tendency in the shipping industry to avoid as much aspossible the time which a ship must spend in dock, by carrying out thenecessary maintenance relative to cleaning and coating of the hullsurfaces while the ship is afloat.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention aims to overcome thedisadvantages existing in the art.

More particularly the present invention has an an object to provide animproved method of treating continuous large-area surfaces.

Still more particularly it is an object of the present invention toprovide such a method wherein cleaning and coating follow one anotherimmediately.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus forcarrying out the novel method In pursuance of the above objects, andothers which ice will become apparent hereafter, one feature of myinvention resides in a method of treating continuous surfaces accordingto which I first subject successive surface portions to a cleaningtreatment, establish an evacuated volume of space contiguous with eachfreshly cleaned surface portion while I subject the next successivesurface portion to the cleaning treatment, and applying a protectivecoating to the respective freshly cleaned surface portion within theevacuated volume of space.

My apparatus comprises a cleaning device which will be described in moredetail subsequently, and one or more containers having an open sidefacing and fluid-tightly contacting the surface being treated, thesecontainers being evacuated. The purpose of such evacuation is two-fold,namely on the one hand it allows the apparatus to adhere to the surfacewhich is being treated, even if the surface is underwater, and on theother hand the fact that the space contiguous with a respective surfaceportion undergoing treatment is evacuated, provides for improvedefficiency in coating.

The vapor pressure existing in the evacuated space is so low that a veryrapid drying effect is obtained which if desired, or if necessary, canbe further improved by the use of drying means, such as infraredradiators or other drying devices. At the same the surface-or rather thesurface portionbeing treated has imparted to it an elevated temperatureand this, in conjunction with the fact that the protective coatingmaterial is usually heated to substantially C. at high pressure, furtheraids in rapid hardening of the applied layer of coating.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for theinvention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. Theinvention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method ofoperation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, willbe best understood from the following description of specificembodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a fragmentary partlysectioned side elevational view illustrating an apparatus according tothe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a detail view, on an enlarged scale, of the apparatus shown inFIGS. 1 and 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Discussing now the drawing indetail it will be seen that in the exemplary illustrated embodiment(compare particularly FIG. 2) the apparatus comprises two cleaningdevices 1 and 2. These are located at opposite ends of the apparatus andin this embodiment the apparatus can move in opposite directions withthe respectively leading cleaning device 1 or 2 being used for effectingcleaning or successive surface portions in the path of the apparatus. Ofcourse, it is possible to provide only a single clean device.

The cleaning devices 1 and 2 are identical, and FIG. 1 shows that thecleaning device 1, which is thus representative of both of the cleaningdevices, comprises a high pressure spray conduit 3 which is fed withwater under high pressure, and guide baffles 4 and 5 which extendforwardly from the conduit 3 and engage the surface S which is to becleaned. It should be noted that in FIG. 1 there is no actual contactshown between the baffles 4 and 5, or any of the other constituentcomponents of the apparatus, and the surface S. The reason for this issimply to provide a clearer illustration; it will be understood thatnormally there will be such contact.

Water under high pressure, or another suitable cleaning fluid, isejected from the conduit 3 of the respective cleaning device against arespective surface portion of the surface S, and serves to clean suchsurface portion.

Located intermediate the cleaning devices 1 and 2, as most clearly shownin FIG. 2, are sealing cylinders 6 and 7 which contact the surface S androll along the same when the apparatus is in use. The rollers 6 and 7are driven, for instance via an oil motor 8. The pinion gear 9 of themotor 8 cams with a gear wheel 10 which is mounted on the shaft 11 whichlatter in turn is rigid with the associated cylinder 6 or 7.

As best'seen in FIG. 3, each shaft 11 further carries at opposite axialends of the respective cylinder 6 or 7 two profiled rollers 12 aroundwhich there is trained an endless belt 13. These belts are located atopposite lateral sides of the apparatus, as evident from FIG. 2. Asshown in FIG. 3, the outer circumference of each of the rollers 12 isprovided with a guide groove and the belts 13 are each provided with aprojection received in the guide groove so as to locate each belt inpredeter mined position with respect to associated rollers 12 and toprevent it from axial shifting relative to these rollers. A portion 14of each belt 13 extends axially beyond the respective rollers 12 andinwardly towards the singleor, as in the illustrated embodiment, theseveral-evacuable containers 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20. The portion 14of each endless belt 13 cooperates with a stationary sealing means 21provided on the evacuable containers, aridadditionally with a sealingstrip 49 which is also secured to the evacua-ble containers. Thematerial of the sealing means 21 and the sealing strip 49 can of coursebe chosen so as to be compatible with the material of the respectiveendless belt 13, or at least the portion 14 thereof, in the sense ofobtaining minimum friction and thereby a long service life of thethusrovided seal. It is emphasized that if the surface S has unevenportions, this will not adversely affect the justdescribed sealingarrangement because such uneven portions will act only upon theoutwardly directed major surface of the respective belt 13 which passesover them. No strain is exerted upon the sealing arrangement per se.

As shown in FIG. 2, and also in FIG. 1, the evacuable containers 15-20each have an open side facing the surface S to be treated. They may beof very different cross-sectional configurations, for instance in theillustrated embodiment they are of trapezoidal cross section. Strips 22of rubber or synthetic plastic elastomeric material connect the adjacentcontainers to one another, that is the container 15 to the container 16,the container 16 to the container 17, and so on, so that the adjacentcontainers are articulately secured to one another. In the illustratedembodiment (compare FIG. 1) the containers 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 areeach provided with shafts 23 (two of which are shown) which extendtransversely to the elongation of the apparatus, that is transversely tothe direction of movement of the apparatus. At the opposite end portionsof these shafts 23, which extend laterally beyond the respectivecontainers, the shafts 23 turnably carry supporting plates 24 which inturn are provided with supporting rollers 25. The upper and lowerstringer of each belt 13 are supported by the rollers 25 and the latterpress the lower stringer 13a against the surface S which is to betreated. Thus, the endless belt 13 together with the cylinders 6 and 7constitute a sealing frame which assures that the containers 15-20-onceevacuatedcan be maintained in evacuated condition. With respect to theshaft 23 it is emphasized that while these extend across the entirewidth and laterally beyond the respective containers 15-19, it is alsopossible to provide only short shaft sections extending laterally fromopposite sides of the respective containers, and also to modify theroller arrangement by providing the supporting plates 24 with more thantwo supporting rollers.

FIG. 2 shows that a plurality of evacuating conduits 26, 27, 28, 29, 30and 31 are each associated with one of the containers 15-20. All of theconduits 26-31 communicate with an exhaust conduit 32 which, in theillustrated embodiment, is composed of a plurality of elasticfor exampleof corrugatedconduit sections or hose sections each of which has itsopposite ends fluid-tightly connected with a tubular connector whoseinterior not only communicates with the respectively associatedsections, but also with the interior of the respective conduits 26-31,or rather with the interior of that particular one of the conduits withwhich it is associated. The tubular connectors are identified withreference numerals 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 and 38 respectively and, as shownin FIG. 2, each communicate with one of the conduits 26-31.

Because the sections of the exhaust conduit 32 are flexible and elasticthey permit adjustment of the positions of the containers 15-20, andFIG. 2 shows that one such possibility resides in the provision of apair of cylinder-and-piston arrangements 39 and 40, preferably of thedouble-acting type, of which the arrangement 39 is associated with thecontainers 15 and 16 and the arrangement 40 is associated with thecontainers 19 and 26. These arrangements 39 and 40 permit selection ofthe direction of movement of the apparatus during its operation.

As further shown in FIG. 2, a curved connecting portion 42 connects theterminal section of the exhaust conduit 32 with an injection nozzle 43to which water or another liquid is supplied under high pressure throughthe inlet 44 in the direction of the arrow. This arrangement operates onthe well known ejector principle in that the stream of water underpressure which passes through the nozzle 43 creates a suction,aspirating air from the interior of the containers 15-20 and evacuatingthe same.

FIG. 1 shows that the containers 15-20 may be provided in their interiorwith drying means alone, with an applicator device in conjunction withdrying means or, and this is not particularly illustrated, with anapplicator device by itself. In the illustrated embodiment the container15 which is closest to the cleaning device 1, is provided only with adrying device 45 in form of an infrared radiator or the like.Analogously, but not shown in FIG. 1, the container 20, which isdirectly adjacent the cylinder 7, is provided with a similar dryingdevice. The container 16, which is arranged subsequent to the container15, that is which is downstream of the container 15 if the apparatus inFIG. 1 moves towards the left, is provided with a similar drying device46 and additionally with an applicator device 47 for applying thecoating material to the surface S. The construction of the devices 45and 46, as well as of the applicator device 47, may be entirelyconventional and is well known to those skilled in the art. Again, thecontainer 17 is provided with a drying device 48 analogous to thedevices 45 and 46. Container 18 is provided with a drying device (notillustrated) similar to the one in container 17, and container 19 isoutfitted in the same manner as container 16, namely with a dryingdevice similar to the one identified with reference numeral 46 in FIG.I, and with an applicator device similar to the one identified withreference numeral 47 in FIG. 1. It must be kept in mind that in theillustrated embodiment the apparatus is intended to be capable ofperforming its intended function with equal facility regardless ofwhether it moves towards the left-hand in FIG. 1, or towards the righthand side. For this reason it is essentially a mirror-symmetricalconstruction.

Of course, the illustrated device is exemplary only and it is possible,for example, to utilize only a single or two of the containers. Forinstance, if only a single container is used then it may contain thedevices 46 and 47 shown in conjunction with the container 16 in FIG. 1.Also, if two containers are used, then the leading one which is directlyadjacent the respective sealing cylinder 6 or 7,

may be either outfitted in the same manner as the container 15, that iswith the drier 45, whereas the next one may be outfitted in the samemanner as the container 16 in FIG. 1, while the leading container may beoutfitted analogously to container 16 in FIG. 1 and the trailing one ornext following one may be outfitted in the same manner as the container17 in FIG.1.

In any case, the construction according to the present invention, aswell as the method according to the invention, are characterized bygreat versatility, and by the fact that they are capable of treatinglarge surface areas rapidly and thoroughly, particularly with respect tothe application of the protective coating.

In use, the apparatus according to the invention will be lifted insuitable manner so that it will be juxtaposed with the surface to betreated. For instance, a crane or other lifting device can be utilized,and this may be located on the structure having the surface which is tobe treated, or it may be located spaced from the structure, for instanceon a dock if the structure is a ship. Other possibilities include theuse of holding magnets which are tiltably mounted and whose contactingof the surface to be treated-and current supply if they areelectromagnets-can be controlled in dependence upon pressure conditionsin the sense that the magnets are caused to grip the surface to betreated in the event that the vacuum in the various containers shouldcollapse and in order under such circumstances to prevent the apparatusfrom falling off the surface S.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or twoor more together, may also find a useful application in other types ofapplications differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in anapparatus for treating continuous surfaces, it is not intended to belimited to the details shown, since various modifications and structuralchanges may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of thepresent invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent isset forth in the appended claims:

1. A method of treating upright surfaces, comprising the first step ofcleaning a portion of an upright surface; the second step of juxtaposingan open side of an evacuable container in seal-tight relationship withthe thus cleaned surface portion; the third step of evacuating saidcontainer so that the same adheres to and is suspended on said surface;the fourth step of applying a coating to said cleaned surface portionthrough said open side of the evacuated container; and the fifth step offreshly cleaning an adjacent portion of said surface contemporaneouslywith at least one of said second through fourth steps.

2. A method as defined in claim 1; and further comprising the step ofintermittently moving said container on said surface so as to juxtaposesaid open side with the respective freshly cleaned surface portion,while maintaining said container evacuated.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said first step comprisesdirecting a pressurized stream of cleaning fluid against said surfaceportions.

4. A method as defined in claim 3; and further comprising the additionalstep of heating and drying each freshly cleaned surface portion prior tosaid fourth step.

5. A method as defined in claim 3; and further comprising the step ofheating and drying the applied coating.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,060,177 4/1913 Flugeltaub 61-681,456,386 5/1923 Lee 61-68 2,166,865 7/1939 Gerdes 61-68 X 3,226,25912/1965 Armbrust 134-21 2,098,262 11/1937 Temple 114-222 2,118,2765/1938 Temple 118207 X 2,132,661 10/1938 Temple 114-222 3,147,143 9/1964Kontani et a1. 118305 3,206,323 9/1965 Miller et a1 117-119 X 3,235,9602/1966 Carreker, Jr. 117-61 3,291,639 12/1966 Flowers et al 117-119 X3,265,525 8/1966 Lichte 117-119 X 3,396,423 8/1968 Hope 114-222 X3,484,280 12/1969 Carreker, Jr 117-119 X ALFRED L. LEAVITT, PrimaryExaminer T. E. BOKAN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

